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I am a stay-at-home mother of two whose passion (besides my family) is books. I am an avid reader who enjoys all types of books, although I mainly read fiction. In addition to reading, I also love crocheting, knitting, cooking, running, and watching Penn State sports. Contact me: bookingmama@gmail.com
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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Summary: The ladies of the Cackleberry Club are always ready to serve—whether they’re cooking up breakfast or sniffing out a bad egg.While Petra handles the breakfast rush at the Cackleberry Club, the café’s other two owners, Suzanne and Toni, head to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. But as they search the winding paths for the historical society tent, they discover something else out of place: the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in someone else’s freshly dug grave.In the small town of Kindred, everyone knows everyone, and Lester was no exception. Suzanne knew him as the creepy guy who made unwanted advances on her friend Missy Langston. But now it appears the man was hiding a few secrets…and at least one of them was worth killing for.As the case cracks open, there are plenty of suspects to consider—from recent parolees to Missy herself, who Suzanne and Toni saw speeding away just before they found the body. Now, with a cemetery celebration in the offing, and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and clear their friend’s name. -- Berkley Crime

I realize I'm a little late to the game this week as far as Mystery Mondays is concerned, but I committed to posting about my book club yesterday. As a result, my Mystery Monday feature is being posted on Tuesday!

It's been quite awhile since I've read a cozy, and I actually forgot how much I enjoy these fun and quick reads. Of course, I read a cozy by one of the most successful cozy writers Laura Childs. It's her latest Cackleberry Club Mystery titled EGGS IN A CASKET, and it was a treat to read for so many reasons.

EGGS IN A CASKET features the women of Cackleberry Club, a cafe that serves some amazing dishes! One morning, Petra handles the breakfast duties at the restaurant as Suzanne and Toni, the other two owners, go to the cemetery to help set up for its 150th anniversary celebration. As they are trying to find the historical society tent, they stumble across the dead body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond who is lying in a freshly dug grave!

Everyone is shocked by Lester's death and gossip starts flying between the residents in the small town of Kindred. Suzanne's good friend Missy is the prime suspect; however, there are no lack of ideas for who is responsible. The police are working hard on the case, but the women of Cackleberry Club decide to launch their own investigation. As they dig deeper (cute pun, right?) into the murder of Lester and try to help Missy, they uncover a few dark secrets about the man and the reasons for his death.

I found EGGS IN A CASKET to be a very fun read! It's the first book that I've read in the Cackleberry Club Mystery series, but it certainly won't be the last. This cozy was a very quick read and I appreciated how the author included some yummy recipes in the back of the book including ones for Easy Scones, Beer Battered Chicken, and Petra's No-Bake Peanut Butter Fudge. The recipes were a pay-off for all of the delicious descriptions of food!

One of the reasons that EGGS IN A CASKET was so cute was the cast of characters. I thought the three owners of the restaurant were very entertaining, and I loved how they interacted with each other as well as their loyalty to their friend Missy. In addition, their crime-solving skills, especially Suzanne's, weren't too shabby either.

I also enjoyed the mystery aspect of this story. Lester wasn't exactly a likable character so I didn't spend too much time feeling bad that he was face-down in a grave. (Doesn't that sound horrible?) I really didn't know who was responsible for the murder, although I was pretty sure that Missy wasn't the culprit. I was kept guessing until the end although I admit that I didn't spend a lot of time trying to figure it out. Honestly, I don't read cozies to test my amateur sleuthing skills.

Overall, EGGS IN A CASKET was an entertaining cozy from a fantastic mystery writer. Highly recommended to fans of light mysteries!

Thanks to the author for providing a review copy of this book.

Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read. Mystery Mondays is a regular feature where I review all types of mystery books -- traditional mysteries, suspense/thrillers, and even cozies! Please feel free to share your thoughts on any recent mystery books that you've read.